Examples on how Innovations in Nanomedicine are shaping Healthcare

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Vocabulary

Liposomes are small artificial vesicles that are composed of one or more lipid bilayers.

Carbon Nanotubes are allotropic forms of Carbon arranged in cylindrical tubes.

Vectors - Characterization of something that can transfer molecules into a host cell.

Allotropic - Characterization of another form of the same element.

Introduction

Nanomedicine is a sector of healthcare that aims to apply the capabilities of Nanotechnology to preventing disease, diagnosing conditions, and repairing bodily systems. As a novel and developing field, Nanomedicine has yielded innovative prototypes. These prototypes hold their potential applications to healthcare in various manners such as mRNA vaccine administration, which can contribute to a potentially raised standard of medicine. In this blog, I will talk about two innovations in Nanomedicine and their impact and implications on healthcare (Viseu, 2023): Lipid Nanoparticles (Tenchov, 2022) and Carbon Nanotubes (Anjum et al., 2021).

Lipid Nanoparticle Nanotechnology

Lipid Nanoparticle Nanotechnology is an innovation in Nanomedicine that dates back to 1965 when liposomes were discovered. Due to their ability to form a lipid bilayer capsule in water, liposomes opened a possibility for small drug transport to treat medical conditions. Over time, substantial improvements have been made to this Nanotechnology, in order to optimize drug delivery. In addition, Lipid Nanoparticles have seen remarkable applications to healthcare. For example, the technology has been used to create a base for an anti-tumor medication Doxil, a hepatitis vaccine Epaxal, and today's Pfizer and Moderna COVID vaccines. In terms of future outlook, Lipid nanoparticles can open the door for research on improving nanotechnology vectors for drugs (Tenchov, 2022).

Carbon Nanotubes

Carbon Nanotubes, an allotropic form of Carbon arranged in cylindrical tube-like structures. These nanotubes, being the strongest of all natural materials in terms of mechanical strength, possess a resilient nature that could potentially answer previously impossible questions in modern medicine. In addition, Carbon Nanotubes possess promising capabilities: the ability to pass through semi-permeable cell membranes through a unique unknown mechanism, the ability to act as vectors for small molecules such as drugs, even the ability to transport macromolecules such as nucleic acids. These valuable properties that Carbon Nanotubes hold allow them great potential for application in medicine. For example, there is undergoing research on using Carbon Nanotubes in order to eliminate cancer cells more efficiently. The research aims for the assimilation of Carbon Nanotubes by non-cancerous cells as a protective layer against a powerful infrared laser, which aims to kill only cancerous cells that are not housed by the resilient properties of Carbon Nanotubes. However, like many aspiring ideas in the sector of Nanotechnology, the study would likely need follow-up studies in order to fortify and further innovate the research idea through repetition and a diverse feedback network (Anjum et al., 2021).

Conclusion

Both Lipid Nanoparticles and Carbon Nanotubes are examples of nanotechnologies that hold potential for amplifying medicine. However, they are only two of the innovations in the vast sector of Nanomedicine. Nanomedicine is a rapidly growing field, with over 50 nano-based treatments already cleared by the FDA. These treatments, if reliability holds true, can revolutionize the future of medicine, inspiring new revolutions and improving the lives of many (Weissig et al., 2021).

References

Anjum, S., Ishaque, S., Fatima, H., Farooq, W., Hano, C., Abbasi, B. H., & Anjum, I. (2021). Emerging Applications of Nanotechnology in Healthcare Systems: Grand Challenges and Perspectives. Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland), 14(8), 707. https://doi.org/10.3390/ph14080707

Viseu, A. (2023, September 7). nanomedicine. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/science/nanomedicine

Tenchov, R. (2022, November 18). The therapeutic potential of nanotechnology beyond covid-19. CAS. https://www.cas.org/resources/cas-insights/drug-discovery/therapeutic-potential-nanotechnology-covid-19

Weissig, V., Elbayoumi, T., Flühmann, B., & Barton, A. (2021). The Growing Field of Nanomedicine and Its Relevance to Pharmacy Curricula. American journal of pharmaceutical education, 85(8), 8331. https://doi.org/10.5688/ajpe8331